The Age: Rail line ‘would replace 10,000 cars’
Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 18th of October, 2006
Public Transport Users Association launches the Destination Doncaster Campaign
This afternoon the Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) launched its Destination Doncaster campaign, calling on all political parties to commit to the delivery of a plan to provide transport choice to Manningham, the only municipality in metropolitan Melbourne that lacks any form of rail or tram access.
The Age reported exclusively on the Destination Doncaster campaign:
The Public Transport Users Association (PTUA) is calling on all political parties to commit to a future rail line before next month’s election and invest in sustainable transport.
Due to continued transport neglect, public transport patronage in Manningham is just 7.3 per cent, below the Melbourne average of 8 per cent and less than the neighbouring municipalities of Banyule (10.6 per cent) and Whitehorse (11.6 per cent), which have fixed rail.
PTUA vice-president Alex Makin said Doncaster, the hub of the City of Manningham, was the only municipality in Melbourne without any rail or tram access.
“As a result, public transport patronage in Manningham is depressingly abysmal and will forever be minimal unless fixed rail infrastructure is provided immediately,” Mr Makin said.
The PTUA is calling on all political parties to support the immediate extension of tram 48 through to Doncaster Shoppingtown and the construction of heavy-rail along the Eastern Freeway by 2010.
